Cling-on

Ellie is going through a major separation anxiety phase. I took her to the Y's Childwatch twice last week and she did not handle it well either time. The second time, they called me to come get her. Coincidentally, my trainer talked to me (mini-lecture) about doing more cardio than (the almost none) I'm currently doing. So, to solve two problems in one masterful stroke, E and I are planning to head to the Y at least a couple days a week for at least a half hour of cardio so she can get reacquainted with the place and I can get in my cardio. That way, if she has a melt-down, I'm on-site and it's in small enough doses that hopefully, she won't be too traumatized. Also, we can go on her schedule which should help since I have been making her adapt to my schedule for appointments.

Thus far, E is shaping up to be a morning girl. Of course, that could just be how all toddlers are wired. She is most independent and cheerful before nap, so I found myself planning to trim her nails this morning instead of last night. It worked out pretty well. She treated it as a minor annoyance rather than a full out assault. As the day progresses, she becomes more and more likely to cling to me or Dad (on the weekends) like a little starfish. The only thing better than Mom or Dad apparently, is the iPad. I try to reserve it for when I really need to get something done, but I can see how some parents tend to really rely on the TV. It's kind of awesome not to have a little ankle-anchor. And, even with my weight training, she is getting a bit heavy to carry around. I suppose I could use my sling, but I'm trying to get her conditioned to play nearby instead.

Last week, we experimented with one mid-day nap. Friday, we switched back to two. The single nap didn't get longer and while she kept about the same amount of overall sleep per day, by the end of the week, she seemed to be even clingier. So, hopefully, renewing the second nap will help things a little. Although, she still wakes up crankiest from that last nap. At least it gives me a little break so I can handle the crankies better and sometimes get a little work done preparing for dinner.

We've advanced out of the honeymoon phase with the shoes. Now, she has discovered the velcro and prefers them off, so she can carry them around and work the straps. Luckily, she understands getting dressed to leave the house, and readily puts them on for trips about.